Hey all! I have been reading the posts on here for quite a while and enjoy reading the knowledge (or lack thereof) from everyone on here. I am a true newbie to the sport and need some direction. I live in Providence, RI and am looking to get this thing rolling but seem overwhelmed. I have NO formal swim background and find it hard to knock out 400 meters. I have looked into it and see all the Total Immersion ads, but question if the $500 for a weekend session is worth it. Would I be better off finding a good swim coach in the area and working with them 1 on 1? When it comes to the bike, this gets interesting. I currently ride a Cervelo Soloist (Alu) with full Ultegra and Mavic Elite’s. I love the bike but find I can get a pretty good amount of flex in the BB while I am grinding hard. I read on here about P3C’s, P4’s, Creepo’s, TTX, Kuota, etc. Which one do I pick? Are bikes truely a “pick what fits you best” or is it all about “pick the one that looks the sweetest”? I’d like to think I have an unlimited budget to get all ceramic bearings and a couple of spare sets of Zipp’s sitting around should the wind pick up, but I don’t, so finances play a role in my decision. I’ve seen P3C’s for sale used and with a set of Zipp’s seem to go for $4000-$5000 plus or minus depending on year/condition/upgrades. Again, I know it is all about the fit but I am also not going to go to a shop and have them outfit me for $8000+ worth of gear when I can get it a season old for half that. When it comes to running, it’s my strong point. I have done too many 5k’s, 10k’s, half and full marathons to count, I’m not too worried about that area. I see the tri-specific shoes like Zoot’s out there and wonder how they work. I currently picked up the Newton racers and ran the Boston Marathon this year in them with good results, felt comfy but find my calfs are torn up after a couple of days running in them so I might switch back to Asics in the near future. As far as clubs are concerned, I am cautious about joining one. Most of the clubs are located in and around the Boston area (an hour away) and there is no way I am driving 2+ hours a day to get to and from training. I have seen there is a Providence Triathlon Team but there website doesn’t give you too much to go off. I am young (27) and don’t want to get stuck in a club with a bunch of 50y.o.'s whom I have nothing in common with (just opened myself up for some bashing I know). It’s tough in my area due to the weather and lack of support from the communities. Thankfully RI just started the Providence 70.3 last year (I am volunteering for it this year to help out since I won’t be racing in it), but I read some reviews on here about it and it sounds like most people didn’t like the experience. As you can see I am lost and looking for direction so any advice would be appreciated. I know you all weren’t born into the sport so let me know how you got the start and what you did to fit everything into a complete package. Thank you and good luck this season! P.S. a little about me:
27 (male)
5’7" (155lbs)
Pay for a fit before you drop $5000 on even a used bike. that $60-70 will go a long way in getting you the best bike for your money.
Also, and I hate to be that guy, but please use some paragraph breaks in your posts. That thing was painful to read.
strange how Bjorn used to crush bike course records on a cervelo P3a luminum with a less stiff BB area than your bike…
i wonder if the flex bothered him?
=)
I love the bike but find I can get a pretty good amount of flex in the BB while I am grinding hard.
I second the idea on fitting. The single largest determining factor in performance is going to be fit and position. Start there and the other factors will fall into place.
Sorry about the “no breaks”. So do I just go to a bike shop and ask for a “tri-bike fit”? I know in Boston there is FitWerks which specializes in them. How do I determine a bike after the fit? Will they give me number to go off that I can make to a certain frames geometry?
Swim coach for an extended period of time over a TI workshop. Hands Down.
Picking on the newbie, I expected that. I’m not too sure if I’m just mashing too hard of a gear and he has a smoother stroke than I do or whatnot. Again, I a pretty new to all this so I’m going at it blindly. I have tried adjusting the front derailleur so the big gear won’t rub but it seems I still hear a nice rubbing noise on hard efforts. I can adjust it far enough out so that it doesn’t rub at all, but then when I upshift to lower gears it immediately causes chainrub do to the derailleur being pushed too far out to the right. It’s probably just me not knowing what I am doing, but I took it to 2 different bike shops after messing with it myself and both times it still did it.
Maybe make friends with those 50 year olds. They will probably teach you a lot.
you are probably just crossing gears too much. this will happen on pretty much any bike. If you are in the biggest front and biggest rear gear, for example
or smallest front and smallest rear
Picking on the newbie, I expected that. I’m not too sure if I’m just mashing too hard of a gear and he has a smoother stroke than I do or whatnot. Again, I a pretty new to all this so I’m going at it blindly. I have tried adjusting the front derailleur so the big gear won’t rub but it seems I still hear a nice rubbing noise on hard efforts. I can adjust it far enough out so that it doesn’t rub at all, but then when I upshift to lower gears it immediately causes chainrub do to the derailleur being pushed too far out to the right. It’s probably just me not knowing what I am doing, but I took it to 2 different bike shops after messing with it myself and both times it still did it.
Your right about that. I’m definitely not knocking the 50 year olds, most of them can probably kick my ass at any one of the sports. What I meant was from a social standpoint it would be tough to “hang out” with people whom you are the same age as their children. Where I live there doesn’t seem to be a large population of younger people involved in the sport, it’s mostly middle-aged+. I have many friends who are many years my elder who know the ins and outs of everything (mostly runners) so picking their brains is always fun, but I am looking for people my age(ish) to train with whom have similar backgrounds or interests.
Look at the bright side, you should win your AG in every race if there is no competition!
Do these 50 yr olds not have daughters?
The funny thing is that the guys in my age group are all super studs! Being new to this there is no way I can keep up with them and a typical sprint 1-4 looks like:
1st: 56 minutes
2nd: 57 minutes
3rd: 58 minutes
4th: 1 hour 9 minutes
an obvious exageration, but the ones who win win by a lot.
As for the older guys having daughters…I’m sure they do, but my girlfriend would kick my ass if I asked (it’s like that) lol.
so you can’t do a sprint in under an hour but you are so strong you bend a bottom bracket into noodles?
=)
The funny thing is that the guys in my age group are all super studs! Being new to this there is no way I can keep up with them and a typical sprint 1-4 looks like:
1st: 56 minutes
2nd: 57 minutes
3rd: 58 minutes
4th: 1 hour 9 minutes
an obvious exageration, but the ones who win win by a lot.
As for the older guys having daughters…I’m sure they do, but my girlfriend would kick my ass if I asked (it’s like that) lol.
If you are ever in Kingston we will go out for a ride with a bunch of 50 year old riders :~)
about the swimming find a local coach the results are worth it
.
Regarding your bike my advice would be to ride the one that you have for a while and continually evaluate what you are looking for in that next bike. If you want to get into a better position you are lucky in that you already own one of the only road frames that can double as a TT rig. I would find a good fitter and have them help you set up your soloist with aerobars, etc.
Regarding clubs, join one. Or get a coach who has other athletes that you can train with. I just completed my first HIM and about 95% of my training was solo. IMO this is a really good way to burn yourself out and spend a lot of time by yourself. Not really the most effective use of your time for the best results either. My plan is now to join a club/training group ASAP. Not saying there isn’t value to those 5 hr solo rides but overall I think being part of a group is highly beneficial. I am 29 and most of those 50 yr old dudes are going to teach you a thing or two and are fun to be around (even in a social setting). In fact sometimes I relate better to them than half the idiots in our own generation.
Training groups usually have access to some good swim coaching as well so that could help you in the water. That’s my 2 cents.
I can do you a favor, send me Zipp 404/808 combo and I promise to personally test them out for you to let you know yay or nay.
If you are for real about the sport…drop the girlfriend, best way to drop weight fast. I’m married with 4 kids, they slow you down more than a Huffy with a flat on a 112 mile ride.
You can run and bike. Get in a pool or open water and get your swimming up to 1000 yards with no rest. Do a couple of sprints.
Doing a sprint and then checking your splits against the others in your AG is the best way to determine what you need to focus on.
Yes, bike is truelly a “what fits YOU” type deal (however, the Felt DA is by far superior to all other bikes, and most cars, in the universe).
Newtons? Really? You sick bastard.
Join a Tri Team/Group based on color of uniform. Honestly, this is important. You need to find a team that has people your age and way of thinking. If you get serious about this sport, you will spend A LOT of time training and the longer you go, the more you will want company (you know the deal with long runs for marathons). Bike rides can get up to 6 or more hours. Better trust the poeple you are with (especially if pace-lining) and enjoy their conversation.
Move to Connecticut. In Fairfield County, we have a pretty good group.
Join a Tri Team/Group based on color of uniform. Honestly, this is important.
Couldn’t agree more. The Tri Team I’m looking to join has much a much cooler kit than the other teams in town. It’s a little tougher looking and I think their athletes are a little tougher as well. It definitely shows up in the results. A much more competitive philosophy and less of the “just do your best” mentality.
The only thing holding me back from Kona is my spider-man looking blue and red uni. Now, if it was black and silver (and sponsored by Zipp/Felt/Speedo/Zoot/QR) I would be sprinting to the finish line against Macca and Potts.
Your current bike is fine for your first season or two in triathlons. You will be smarter and make a wiser purchase in a year or two than you would now.
Find a master’s swim team (master’s here means ‘adult’) and join them. See if you can purchase some 1 on 1 lessons when starting out because it will be a much faster way to improve than trying to teach yourself during a Master’s workout…don’t expect the team’s coach to stop coaching to work your technique during practice…offer to pay he/she extra for outside of class instruction.
When you are ready for the rigors of the swim event, enter a sprint triathlon and go from there.
Have fun!